"James Madison's finest biographer has now given us the perfect companion piece to our new national treasure, the brilliantly restored Montpelier mansion in Orage County, Virginia. Drawing upon his unparalleled knowledge of both James and Dolley Madison, as well as the rich abundance of fresh insights to emerge from the restoration project, Ralph Ketcham's elegant book offers a masterful sketch of the Madisons' lives in retirement at Montpelier during the early nineteenth century. The result is an evocative, thoughtful, and often moving account of both the triumphs and trials of America's leastknown 'founding couple,'" - Drew McCoy, author of The Last of the Fathers: James Madison and the Republican Legacy

"Ralph Ketcham, the dean of James Madison biographers, provides an engaging, vivid, and even moving account of James and Dolley's long years of retirement at Montpelier. As much as possible, Ketcham allows both members of this famous first couple to speak for themselves, quoting extensively from their papers and the impressions they made on their numerous visitors. His book provides a warm and touching portrait of their life at Montpelier." - Jack N. Rakove, Stanford University, author of James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic.